After The Shot
by Morse333
Summary: The Battle of Hoth devastated more then just rebels. The horror of the battle has haunted Scout Trooper SJ-481, S-Man, and nothing has been the same for him since. All because of a single shot he fired.
1. The Ephiphany

_(Comments welcomed and encouraged)_

_The shot changed my life. There's no two ways about it. From the moment before it, and the moment I pulled that trigger I was a different person.  
_

_Icy winds and a terrible battle on a frozen world known as Hoth and suddenly I'm seeing things in a whole new way.  
_

_Since then I've viewed life differently. I started thinking, probably a lot more then I should have. Things in the galaxy suddenly started to make a lot less sense._

_I was a Trooper of the Imperial Corps. But more then that, I was a Scout Trooper. An accomplished marksmen, able to operate in more environments other soldiers dread. Proudly enforcing the Empires laws and projecting its power across the stars._

_Yet all that I was shook so terribly. So much so that I felt like a different person when I left that icy hell known as Hoth._

_I'm known as SJ-481….. though my platoon calls me S-man…._

_But to me, I'm not really either of those._

_I identify myself by Rannik Dalgus… my birth name_

_And I was born_

_After the Shot_


	2. An Uneasy Chill

_(Reviews welcome and encouraged)_

"_I remember it being cold. Extremely cold. Even inside of the transport on the way in I could feel the cold. Those icy winds touched deep. While everyone else had their blood boiling hot ready for the fight, even then I felt a chill that made me uneasy." – _S-Man

**-Time In Hoth System – 19 Hours**

**- Time On Hoth – 3 Hours**

The rumbling didn't stop, not even for a moment as the massive HAVw A5 Juggernaut rolled over the ice and snow. Though it ran parallel to many other transports, some of which were directly in front of them breaking the ice up and blazing a trail it didn't seem to help at all. They just left tracks for the A5 to ignore as it tackled the frozen terrain.

The immense wheels on the A5 Juggernaut crushed everything that stood before them as they rolled their way to the object. They were flanked by several AT-ATs and a dozen AT-STs. They all were working a convoy on their way through the oddly light breeze before them.

Initial weather reports had suggested that the weather would be much worse. But luckily the weather had cleared and it was a bright crisp day. You could see bright blue sky over head, which greeted the battalion that was conquering a mile a minute.

Inside the transport it was cramped however. Three hundred Stormtroopers, dressed in all white. Their heads all covered by long masks that protruded from their helmets, they all looked the same. The only differentiation between them was the weapons they carried. All with the exception of a hand full of Scout Troopers.

The Scout Troopers wore armor that looked almost standard compared to the others. The rest of the troopers wore specialized armor, ready to tackle the snow. They had well worked internal heating systems and insulation, so that they wouldn't even notice the snow. The Scout Troopers however had a different set of armor which met their needs. It looked almost exactly like their usual armor, though it was slightly bulkier. The helmet was reinforced to prepare for the weather. But that aside they all looked like they did on any other world.

S-man looked cold though. Unlike the others, who seemed to be taking the climate much better then he was, he shivered a little bit as he kept his back against the wall. In his hands he kept a tight grip on his E-11s Sniper Rifle, and in his helmet he breathed fairly hard.

"Yo S." A voice called out through a helmet communicator near by. "You alright, you're shaking."

"S shaking?" A different voice asked, it was a little deeper then the first voice. "No way, he's never scared of a deployment."

"I'm not scared." S-man replied. "Just cold." He replied rather gently. He didn't want to waste too much energy on a long reply.

"You know, being cold a sign of being a scaredy-rakk." The sound of the second voice came in. It was UC-199, though they referred to him as Upper Cut. He got that name because he always seemed to be on the attack, and he participated in a number of after hours fighting rings which a lot of the troopers would bet on when they were off duty.

"It's also a symptom of being on an Ice World." S-Man replied still shaking a little bit.

"Well get a hold of yourself S-Man, its not gonna be any better when the doors open." The first voice spoke. It was NR-262, generally referred to as Nak. He was the oldest one of them, and the superior amongst them, holding the rank of Corporal.

Together S-man, Nak, and Upper Cut formed fire team Beta of fourth squad. They were not the best marksmen in their platoon, but they weren't the worst. As far as Scout Troopers went the three of them didn't stand out too much. Aside from Upper Cuts after hours fighting, and Nak's affinity for minor electronic repairs they were pretty normal.

S-man stood out in his own way, simply because of that nickname. It was common for troopers to give themselves nicknames within their own platoons. Imperial protocol frowned on the use of a Stormtroopers birth name, since it got in the way of the orderly image they wanted to give. But many of them had trouble remembering everyone's individual number, and when you fought with someone long enough they felt like giving each other something more personal.

The nickname S-man was given to SJ-481 since it was very close to "Yes Man" which was his title for a very brief period. He was called that since he never argued with an order. He never opted for a different route of attack, a different deployment, never complained about a command. He would simply give a "Yes, sir" and carry it out. Most others would have at least some opinion about it, but S-man never gave it. Thus the name stuck.

"How bad's the fighting up there?" S-Man asked Nak, who was standing beside him.

"Who knows?" Nak replied with a shrug.

"It's a real bad kicking of some rebel ass, that's what I hear!" Upper Cut tossed out. "And were gonna make it even badder when we get there."

"Badder? Shavit Upper Cut, you aughta get your head checked out when we get back." Nak commented on Upper Cuts poor vocabulary.

"His heads all together, it's his education that's missing. If you wanna help Nak, you could start by teaching him his ABC's and then see if he retains any of it." S-man joked.

"Frell you guys." Upper Cut said with his deep tone, waving them both off.

S-man and Nak both shared a laugh. Even still S-Man was shaking.

"60 Seconds Troopers! Load up! Zone is hot!" The voice over the intercom seemed more concerned then any of the troopers. It was the A5 Juggernaut Driver who had just finished speaking. Though he was safer then all of the troops in the back, since he was going no where, he could still see what they were about to be running towards. All of the Stormtroopers in the back were in denial however.

Not but three seconds after the driver spoke, the three hundred troopers all began to take notice of heavy turbo lasers striking the armor of the troop transport. It pelted hard and was like a denting screech every time. They couldn't see any damage, but the noise was enough to make weaker men cry. These however were men and women of the stormtrooper corps. Every one of them had all notions of fear driven out of them. They were ready to do their duty to the Empire and crush the rebel scum before them.

S-Man checked his E-11s once more, ensuring it was ready. He reached down and made sure that his boot blaster was ready, as did Nak and Upper Cut.

"Should we grab a standard E-11? You know just in case?" Asked Upper Cut. Now would be their last chance if they were going to.

"Its just extra weight. Besides… were not charging up close like the rest of the Snowmen." Nak replied, pointing a thumb behind him towards the other troops.

"We heard that tree dodger." One of the Snowtroopers standing behind Nak announced.

The three scouts pretended they didn't hear that, and just continued checking their gear.

S-Man had all his gear checked out. Thermal detonators, extra battery clips, and a small R-1 Reconnaissance Droid attached to his belt. He was ready, all equipment was in place, and by all accounts he was prepared to do some serious damage, as were they all.

But still S-Man felt cold, and he hated that. He didn't typical feel as bothered by the environment. After all he was trained to handle a wide variety of them. But this one was just getting to him. At that moment he envied the regular Snowtrooper armor, which was much better fitted for the climate. It was better insulated and had a better heating system. His own was rather thin by comparison, but it didn't seem to bother the others as much as him.

"10 Seconds!" The Driver called over the intercom again.

"Ok guys." Nak said. "Lets go zap some rebel heads."

"Yes, sir." S-Man said.

Behind them the other troopers were all in a rustle and getting ready to charge out of the exit ramps. Just as they all began to move an officer yelled out.

"For the Empire!"

And all at once every trooper echoed his statement.

"For the Empire!" S-Man yelled out with the others.

And then the side doors opened and the troopers all began to run down the ramps on either side of the A5 Juggernaught. The exit was going surprisingly quick and orderly. Everyone was eager to fight, there was no fear. And everyone knew what they needed to do to help that fight.

S-Man clutched his rifle tight and moved forward with the others. The group made its way out faster and faster. He was still in the dark transport though. But in a matter seconds it was his turn to disembark out into the bright light. And when he got there he charged out behind the others.

There was a crunch when his feet hit the snow as he came off the metal ramp which led from the A5 Juggernaut.

He looked up immediately to see a pair of snowspeeders zooming over head. They dove down at the disembarking troopers, and opened up on the white troopers with rapid firing blasters.

S-Man ducked his head, but the shots weren't close to him. Still he could hear the screaming of troopers that had exited the craft moments before he had. It did not bother him however. That was what a battle was and it wasn't his first one.

He looked right and saw a column of AT-ATs and smaller AT-STs marching beside them. Loud metallic clunks were heard every other second as they continued to pound forward through the snow. Behind them the percussion of blasters from their own guns pelted rebel positions far on the other end of the battlefield.

But now it was time to go to work. The rebel base was far ahead of them, hundreds of troops lined in trenches manning guns attempting to stop their advance. But S-Man would do his part to make sure that didn't happen.

Soon these rebels would be crushed. Soon Hoth would be there's.

But still as S-Man charged forward, he felt cold.


	3. No Chance

_(Reviews welcome and encouraged)_

"_People forget in their glamorized view of warfare that blasters can sometimes make you bleed. If a bolt hits deep and hard enough it was won't be instantly cauterized. And that day we left plenty of rebel bodies bloody in the snow. Personally I'm surprised they thought they had a chance." - S-Man_

"FORWARD!"

The voice of every officer on the ground shouted the same message every few minutes. They were trying to coax the hundreds of Stormtroopers into throwing aside their fears of being wounded and just charge mindlessly forward. Crying out to the massive lines of white armored soldiers that were sprinting towards dug in positions, some of which were as far as two miles away.

But that would have perhaps been more effective on weaker, less motivated soldiers. People less devoted to the Empire. These were Imperial Stormtroopers however. Every one of them had the concept of loyalty dug deep into their skull to the point where the idea of shaking it out of them by firing blasters at them was almost laughable.

S-Man was no different. His E-11s Sniper Rifle was tight in his grip as he stomped snow with every step. He was moving at a speedy jog as were most of the other troopers in his column. But he was taking in the battlefield as he ran, rather then just taking in the objective. He did so as to make a better decision for when he would set down.

The troopers were ahead of the Armored Walkers now. Though AT-ATs could move quickly, these ones were maintaining a slow but sustained advance. Their turbo lasers were still providing excellent support though as the infantry units prepared for an up close and personal look at the rebel emplacements.

The bipedal AT-STs kept up with the troopers however. They even passed some of the troopers. This made the Stormtroopers feel more comfortable as the AT-STs would attract a lot of the blaster fire and help suppress the rebel troops.

Looking back, S-Man saw Snowspeeders circling an AT-AT. A black cable was attached to the massive walker's legs. He didn't have the slightest idea what they rebels were hoping to accomplish with that, but he continued to charge with the rest of the men.

He returned his focus forward and saw what was easily a dozen battery emplacements opening fire on the three hundred troopers moving forward. The bolts whizzed over head every few seconds. Some came in low and just in front of the column, some just blew straight passed them and went completely unnoticed.

There were shots they did notice though, namely the ones that struck them. Every few blasts would strike the ground where several troopers were running, or hit one of the soldiers specifically. The lucky ones were killed instantly. Those that weren't would have to wait for a field medic to get to them. But with all of the Stormtroopers running at the distant trench line, there was no way they could stop for each one.

S-Man's job was a little different however. He was going to lay down rifle support from a far. It was a perfect fear tactic, and helped thin the numbers of rebel troops who were stupid enough to remain out in the open.

He visually scanned the area looking for a decent place to set up. It was difficult just given where they had dropped off. Flat ground and all charging towards the same area. He did not like that approach as a Scout Trooper, but one had to work with their given circumstance.

It wasn't long before S-Man found the perfect position. A gentle hill very close to where they were. The slope would provide the perfect vantage point, and it was far enough away that they would not be noticed. It would not provide much cover, but fortunately they were perfectly camouflaged with the environment for once.

"Nak!" S-Man said into his helmet com. "I'm heading for that hill on the right!"

S-Man had lost sight of Upper Cut and Nak. It was common in a mass deployment like that. Stormtroopers would be running all around and you could get lost quickly with people that all looked the same. Fortunately they were all running in the same direction.

"Roger, S-Man." Nak responded in the radio, his breathing a bit labored. "Upper Cut's heading for a small ditch to the left, and I'm holding position near some boulder the rest of you passed a couple minutes ago."

"Acknowledged, Nak." S-Man said as he began making his way up the hill.

"Yeah!" The deep voice of Upper Cut was heard. "Got one!"

S-Man was not generally of celebratory as Upper Cut was, but he had his own internal party every time he scored a kill. He'd have to get to the position atop the hill before he would be able to get to that point first.

As he climbed the hill S-Man looked to his left to see the battlefield.

It was a cataclysmic devastation from what he could see. The Rebel Base was being completely swamped with Imperial Troops and blaster fire. The AT-ATs were still marching, undeterred by the lost of several of their own number. Thousands of Stormtroopers had taken the field, moving in all direction. Snowspeeders still zipped around but they were being shot down frequently at this point. Every few minutes a Snowspeeder would turn into flaming ball of fire and would touch down in a spectacular explosion, raising Imperial Morale that much more.

S-Man did get a good glimpse of the whole set up of the base the higher he climbed. It was set up with what appeared to be a main compound further to the back of the base. But the rest was set up as a series of outposts and bunkers, each loaded to the teeth with weapons. It seemed as though they were ready for a major assault, but truly did not stand a chance at completely repelling the Empire. The shield generator would be a great prize as they could commence an orbital bombardment once it was out of the way. But it was still a race to get there. Either the AT-ATs would smash it first, or the troops would deactivate it. Either way the rebel defense was coming down.

At last S-Man found a spot to his liking. It was small evening out on the hills slope, and he stopped there. It was just large enough for him to lie down on without being tilted at a bad angle. He could feel the snow grip around him as he set down on his stomach, and dug his elbows into the snow to steady himself.

Finally he was ready. He adjusted the scope on top of the rifle and began looking over the nearest bunker, the one that his column of troops had been charging.

It was a flurry of fire down there. The Imperials easily outnumbered the rebels that were there, but did not have the advantage of a defensible position as the rebels did. Many of the Stormtroopers had already been gunned down, but the Imperials had done a fine job of smashing the rebel positions too. But now it was time to start evening out the numbers.

"In position." S-Man said over the radio.

"Fire at will, S-Man." Nak ordered.

THOO

A mighty green blast ripped from the end of S-Man's E-11s. Their blaster crystal was adjusted to a different color so that they could more easily track their shots and adjust. S-Man didn't need to adjust that shot however as it hit its target perfectly. The target was a Rebel soldier's neck.

He searched quickly for his next target, trying to discern who he wanted to hit quickly. There seemed to be a man giving orders to the other rebel soldiers. S-Man could not tell if he was an officer from there, since the rebel uniforms were very similar. But with the man's arm movements and waving and the fact that he himself wasn't doing anything he had a pretty good idea.

THOO

Another shot, another drop, but this time he'd fired a little wide. It seemed the man had moved at the last second and S-Man's shot hit him in his left bicep. That wasn't exactly that plan, but he didn't care. It sent the message to the Rebels well enough.

He assumed Nak and Upper Cut were taking similar shots at the rebels, and he had it confirmed when a call came over the radio.

"Dammit S-Man, you stole my shot." Said Nak

"Don't waste so much time figuring out a shot Nak, just shoot it." Upper Cut suggested.

"Ya Nak, you afraid of your battery clip running out? I'm sure if you ask the rebels nice enough they'll give you one." S-Man joked.

"If he'd just shoot em he wouldn't even have to ask em." Upper Cut replied.

S-Man and Upper Cut both laughed at their little banter at Nak's expense over the com.

"Just shut up and suppress those rebels you shavit crunches." Nak swore back.

It was an almost perfect description in S-Man's mind of how the Empire viewed the rebellion. Aside from the loss of the Death Star, they were an incredibly weak force in readiness. They were nothing compared to the CIS twenty years earlier, and most certainly less then that when matched against the Empire.

The were taking it so routinely that they had found the time to make jokes, even as they were standing on one of the most brutal battlefields anyone had seen in years. But that's what happened when you were winning. You got cocky and were just ready to end it.

Not long after the group had been setting down fire did the Rebels start to lose hope. Their turrets were all blown to pieces either by rocket fire, or heavy cannon from the walkers. Their lines were thinned, and the Stormtroopers before them continued to charge ever forward. The single building bunker was as good as there.

All at once Stormtroopers began to raid the trenches. They cut off the Rebels that desperately took shelter there. Some of them surrendered immediately, others tried to make a final stand. But there was no where to go and no way to win. The Stormtroopers had that bunker completely over taken. There may have been a Rebel here or there had hadn't thrown down their weapon, but they would be cut down swiftly.

"Looks like this bunkers ours." Nak observed over the radio.

"Copy that." S-Man agreed looking at the smoky pile that had Imperial troops all over it.

"Gotta advance guys." Nak ordered. "Move it out."

S-Man wasted no time. He stood up, switched out his clip and began jogging towards his next position.

He looked down at the bunker they just took, knowing that none of the troops down there would have any idea where some of the shots came from that helped devastate them so badly. He just took satisfaction in knowing he'd done his part to help silence that position, and saved the galaxy from a few more rebels in the process.


	4. The Shot

_(Reviews welcomed and encouraged)_

"_**We thought it was over. The battle was won and the planet was ours. But then I looked in that rebels eyes and fired the shot. And in his eyes I could see the truth. It would never truly be over." **_**– S-Man**

**Time in Hoth System – 21 Hours**

**Time On Hoth – 5 Hours**

An AT-ST marched through the sea of snow. The Dark Gray visage clashing with the icy white landscape, showing a differing dominance to the natural state of the world. Atop it there was a single Snowtrooper, his torso exposed. One hand was on a long mounted blaster turret, the other was on a set of binoculars. And below the walkers feet was a line defeated soldiers being escorted to a staging area by white dressed Troopers that looked just like the one atop the AT-ST

Images such as this had overtaken the basin that was the entirety of the rebel base. Thousands of defeated rebel soldiers having been forced to throw down their weapons and march in the snow, lest they befall the same fate of their fallen brothers in arms which lay dead all around them.

But while it was a disheartening site for the rebels to see thousands of dead soldiers littering the snow, the Imperial troops there could not have felt more proud.

Bunkers were burned and shelled into the ground. A hanger bay was completely collapsed onto itself. Turrets lay either abandoned or blown to pieces all around. Trenches with nothing but corpses residing in them, acting as mass graves through the whole the battlefield were the norm. And in between all of them were the legions of Stormtroopers ensuring that the place was completely secure.

Among them was S-Man, who was marching with another Snowtrooper who he'd come across on his way back to the rendezvous position. He had been perched a top a further hill which surrounded the basin. It took him quite a while to get there, but it was perfect as he got a complete view of the battlefield. By the time he'd gotten there the victory was already secured. But he still managed to help them achieve it that much faster, and inflict that much more damage onto the rebels.

Overheard came the scream of ion engines as a pair of TIE fighters came into the area, showing that the airspace was finally theirs.

"Finally." The Trooper that was walking with S-Man said looking up at them.

"Yeah, no kiddin'." S-Man seconded.

"Why didn't they get here sooner? We're getting blasted to bits by snowspeeders and the Air Corps no where to be found" The trooper with S-Man asked somewhat rhetorically.

"My Lieutenant said somethin' about a shield generator. Kept them from flying in." S-Man answered.

"Yeah, mine did too. I'm guessin' it was just an excuse for them to sit in their cushy chairs on the Star Destroyer while we're down here freezing our feet off." The Trooper replied discounting the response.

"Wouldn't be the first time." S-Man said with a laugh.

The other trooper laughed as well as they continued their walk forward.

"I never got your name." The Trooper asked.

S-Man could tell he was younger then himself. It was in his voice and the amount he seemed to complain. The veterans tended to just accept their situation and not bother with wondering 'what if'.

"Just call me S-Man. You?" S-Man introduced.

"Gamma 44D, though the 8th platoon of the 712th calls me Forz." The trooper, Forz, answered.

"Well Forz, what were you doing that far out anyway?" S-Man asked, using the man's trooper given nickname.

"I… well… got separated." Forz admitted. "The rebels started lobbing detonators at my squad, the bastards. Blew the rest apart, and hell I must have flown ten feet myself."

"Well that explains the uh… chest plate." S-Man remarked gesturing at Forz's blackened dented chest plate.

"Oh ya, I got lucky… sort of." Forz continued. "The rest of my platoon continued the advance without me, and by the time I was able to get back to my feet they were deep inside of a bunker. I think they thought I was dead to be honest." Forz chuckled to himself. "And when I started heading to the rendezvous I saw you commin' down the hill."

"Nothin' beats a soldier's life right?" S-Man asked, summing up the whole of that situation as normal.

"Guess not." Forz laughed.

The two continued trudging through the snow for a while. They were by themselves about a hundred yards away from a line of Snowtroopers. Not being with their unit it, there was little point in linking up. For the moment Forz was escorting S-Man in a 'scouting squad'.

More TIE fighters came about, and they could see larger transports coming down a few miles away. They were likely to being moving the assets off world very soon. The rebels would be moved first however. Not to a pleasant place. They would all be interrogated, and many of them would be imprisoned or executed for their part in the rebellion. But at least they'd be out of the snow.

"Doesn't look like we're going to be occupying the place." S-Man observed as he saw the ships moving in.

"How can you tell?" Forz asked not sure of how S-Man would know that.

"They wouldn't be moving all the troops off world this fast if they were planning on it." S-Man pointed out. "I'm betting they bomb this place into a giant crater just to make sure we didn't miss anything."

"Well its crappy rebel engineering anyway." Forz said. "I mean why would we want…"

FOOOOOOOOOOOO

All at once there was the sound of a blaster bolt whizzing by. It was followed immediately by the sound of a plasma searing. The horrible sound of duraplast collapsing and molding to the shape of the bolt that hit it. And in the second it hit there was a scream that came from the poor Snowtrooper Forz.

S-Man turned to see the bolt collide with Forz's already weakened chest plate, and quickly looked to see where it had come from.

Before him was a man, a human clad in the white garb that rebel soldiers wore. He wasn't more then twenty feet away from Forz and S-Man as he arisen from a small trench the two had not even noticed was there. In his hand there was a blaster rifle, switching its aim towards S-Man, whose long E-11s Sniper rifle was by his waist.

The rebels face was burnt and bruised. His uniform was in tatters, particularly at the left leg, which was completely exposed to the elements. He did not wear a helmet or goggles as man of the rebels had. He was simply a shadow of a once fully prepared defender that was at this base. The living example of what that base was. A tattered shell of itself.

S-Man had no time to react. A look of terror poured over his face, but it couldn't be seen from beneath his helmet. His face was covered by the mask and visor which shown only black eyes and a blank yet stern expression. No different then any other trooper that stood on that battlefield to the rebel before him no doubt. Nothing but another set of numbers that was about to be listed under the casualties of the battle.

His lungs suddenly became cold, and his heart sank. He was going to die, there was no time. He'd never be able to raise his rifle up and finish off this rebel. He would in a matter of moments be another cold corpse on the ground, dead just beside his new friend Forz.

The Snowtroopers in the distance heard and saw what happened, but they were too far away. S-Man stood between them and their clear shot of this rebel who was about to finish him. S-Man would either be a victim of enemy or friendly fire, but either way the Scout Troopers tour of duty for the Empire was about to come to its end.

And S-Man was not ready. How could he be? All of the training, everything the Empire had put into him. It had yet prepared him to die the honorable death that all Stormtroopers would receive if they gave everything they had to the service.

It crossed his mind that he perhaps didn't want to just be remembered as SJ-481, a fallen Stormtrooper amongst the legions that had fallen before him. He didn't volunteer to just be remembered as a face behind a helmet.

CLICK

S-Man could hear it all the way from where he stood. The trigger had been pulled, and yet nothing happened. He should be falling backwards feeling the horrible pain and breathing his last breathe. But he wasn't. He was still standing, watching the same look on his face appear on the rebels face before him.

S-Man didn't know why it had happened. Maybe the rebel's power cell had finally run out. Maybe the weapon had been damaged earlier. Maybe it was a failure due to the cold climate. He had no idea. But that didn't matter. He had been given a chance, and he was using it.

Lifting his E-11s in a single motion, S-Man brought his long rifle to his shoulder. The weapon lined up perfectly and fluidly. It was as though it was a part of him. The two were so familiar with each other that they fit together like a hand to a custom made glove.

The rebel was making a move as well. He had tossed his rifle and was reaching for a blaster pistol holstered on his belt. He moved quickly, but not as seamlessly as S-Man. It was as though he had just remembered he'd had it, but had never truly used the weapon before. But still he got his hand around it, and began drawing it.

S-Man already had his own weapon directed straight at the man's head. It was too late for the Rebel. He had his opportunity and fate had chosen the most unfortunate moment to take it away from him.

He didn't even need the scope. S-Man had the shot lined up perfectly without it. The barrel centered directly at the space where his eyes and nose all met.

But even though he didn't have to, S-Man couldn't help but take a peak through the scope. His left eye closed and he got a full image of the mans face.

He must have been in his thirties. Not terribly young, but certainly not old. A burn was on his cheek. In his eyes there seemed to be a small welling of tears, but not enough time had passed for any of them to fall.

His eyes themselves said something else. They said something about this rebel's spirit. S-Man was ready to kill him. As with all traitors this one would die the same. But even as he knew that was his fate, he was not broken. He was standing his ground ready to fight till the bitterest of ends had befallen him.

S-Man had killed plenty of rebels, even that day alone. But he'd never seen so deeply into one of their eyes that he could catch a glimpse of what would be in their soul.

THOOOOOOOOO

The green bolt flew from the end of S-Man's rifle and ended that rebel's stand. He fell backwards with his pistol in his hand and fell limp onto the snow.

S-Man lowered his rifle, looking at the rebel's corpse. The look of terror was still on his own face as he tried slow down his breathing and rap his mind around what had just happened.

From the moment Forz died to the moment S-Man shot the rebel, perhaps two seconds had gone by. But to S-Man, it was a lifetime. As though the galaxy had stood still for an eternity so that he could see that rebel's determination, even in the face of a resounding defeat.

Finally from behind him the squad of Snowtroopers arrived behind him, to make sure the place was secure.

"Are you alright!?" One of them asked as some of them moved by him to ensure the rebel was dead.

"Yuh….." S-Man started. His heart was slamming in his chest and his breathing had become incredibly faint. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He answered shaking his head.

The troopers began dealing with the corpse of Forz, picking him up and moving him where they were moving all of the dead Troopers.

S-Man just turned to look back at the bodies. First at Forz, then at the fallen rebel.

Finally he moved his eyes over towards the rest of the battlefield, taking in the smoke and the fire as the Imperials reveled in their victory.

But for S-Man, he suddenly didn't feel like it was a victory. He began walking the way he had been feeling like it was only part of something much larger still to come.


	5. Clearing The Mind

_(Reviews welcomed and encouraged)_

"**_After Hoth my head was a mess. No one really seemed to catch on to how bad it was, but I had a feeling it was worse then even I realized. Then I hoped that getting back to work would help me clear the mind. I didn't know it, but that was the stuff that got me so screwed up in the first place."_**

**Time in Ruul System – 2 Hours**

**Time since Hoth – 28 Days**

The Sentinel-Class Landing Ships shook on their way down through Ruuls atmosphere. The heavily polluted mess tended to add extra turbulence to already heavy winds that were brought about by high mountains that stood bare all around the planets surface.

The planet had never been a pretty one, and it certainly wasn't after the Empire had gotten there. The entire surface looked about the same as it had for thousands of years before, with the exception of dark gray durasteel structures that filled canyons and sat on the plains.

The Empire had turned the planet into an important resource for its operations within the connecting sectors. It was a massive strip mine complex where they took all sorts of ore. It played host to thousands of the Empires worst criminals, who were used for labor. Endlessly toiling in the mines, bring the important material to the surface that it could be shipped off world to help continue building the Empire.

But most importantly, and supposedly secretly, it was the location of a very important Imperial Computer Complex. Inside of the buildings vast array of terminals laid a plethora of data on Imperial tactics, troop movements, construction plans, secret programs, and locations of hidden facilities.

Though thought to be secure, the Rebels had managed to infiltrate the facility months earlier. The worst of it was that they had completely taken control of the Computer Complex, and had employed signals which made everything seem as though they were in control.

It was no surprise that for those months the rebels did as the rebels always did. They smuggled weapons to the most horrendous scum of the Empire. Now with an army of dangerous convicts at their back, they could do whatever they wanted in the areas they controlled.

By a stroke of luck, a technician had noted that one of their codes had a fabrication error, and warned a passing convoy to check out the Computer Complex. This led to the discovery that the rebels controlled the planets brain, and the operation to rid Ruul of the rebel infection was set in motion.

Hundreds of landing craft came down at a Supply facility, which was now designated "Imperial District Staging Area 4". It was a very long titled, but it served to keep things organized as the operation continued.

Travelling inside of one of the approaching Sentinel's was S-Man. He was back in his usual Scout-Trooper uniform, the thin armor wrapping his body comfortably. But he did not have his helmet on. He stared at the floor. His jaw hung loose and air slipped in and out between his teeth.

He'd been like that for quite some time. Even since they got onto the landing ship he had just sat there like that. It was like he was gone in those minutes. He just sat there staring at the floor completely losing everything that was S-Man as thoughts darted invisibly through his head.

"Hey S-Man!" came the deep voice of Upper Cut who was sitting across from him. Unlike S-Man his helmet was on. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" S-Man said looking up, asking as though he did not hear what was said to him.

"You've been sitting drooling for the past twenty four minutes." Upper Cut commented.

S-Man touched his hand to his mouth to check for spit. There was no such drivel coming from his lip, and he sat back.

"I'm not drooling." S-Man said back.

"What he means is you've been actin' a bit weird the last few weeks." Nak elaborated. He was sitting directly next to S-Man, and looked over at him when he spoke.

S-Man wasn't sure what to say. He had not noticed it much at all, but multiple times a day he could slip into a sort stupor and forget who he was. He'd just sit there with different thoughts going through his mind.

"I just… haven't been sleeping so good." S-Man admitted, hoping they wouldn't pry into it farther.

"I hear yuh." Upper Cut replied. "Since they added those new muscle supplements, my stomach keeps getting' all frelled up."

Nak nodded. "Yeah, that shavit keeps stopping me up. But orders are to eat it."

S-Man leaned back and closed his eyes. "That's just cus your old, Nak, not the supplements." He was talking specifically about Nak being stopped up.

Upper Cut started laughing from across from them. "See Nak, he's fine. He just needs to get to shooting some rebel scum and he'll be feelin' great."

S-Man got that they had been talking about him. He didn't know if it was just on the flight down, or if it had been longer. Either way he was having a noticeable problem and that wasn't good

The Sentinel Class Landing ship began to shake less as the air smoothed out. It meant that they would be landing soon. The ground beneath it became much closer, and the several that were travelling with it loosened up their formation in preparation to land at different pads.

The stormtrooper platoons immediately began to get their gear in hand. They did not have much to carry; they were really just being brought to the surface for the moment. But they were all armed, and they brought their various E-11s into their grips as they waited for the ship to drop.

"Anyone heard about the op?" S-Man asked, seeming to have forgot any information he'd heard about Ruul.

"Rebels infiltrated the mines, armed the prisoners." Nak said, moving his E-11s between his legs. "Should be a pretty easy mission."

"Well rebels can't shoot for shavit as is. A bunch a criminals aint gonna do much better. This'd be fun just to watch." Upper Cut chuckled.

The Landing ship came down inside of the Imperial Staging area, and its small stabilizer wings lifted till they were vertical. At the same time the ramp and cargo hatches opened up.

The stormtrooper safety harnesses were all released, and they began to stand up. Without an order they began to disembark down the ramp and into the faded sunlight.

There were thousands of personnel on base. Squads of troopers marching onto ground transports, engineers unloading essential equipment, cargo loaders unpacking tons of ordinance. In the distance a pair of TIE fighters escorted a bomber to an unknown location beyond a nearby mountain.

The Imperial Supply Base which they stood on a was an oddly sterile environment. It had a metallic floor, a twenty foot high wall surrounding it, guard towers with turbo lasers mounted on them. It had been used to get enough supplies to send all over the world, and was large enough for a cruiser to land on and still have room.

Beyond the wall however, one could see nothing but gray and brown fusing on the mountains. The ground was likely to be no different. It was not a welcoming sort of planet, and wasn't likely to have a great deal of means in terms of supporting any real population.

As S-Man took in the sites, Nak called out to him.

"S-Man, get your helmet on!" He said. "We just got our orders."

S-Man looked over. Without his helmet he would not have been able to hear what their Lieutenant had assigned. "What did they say?" S-Man asked.

"Well if you had your damn helmet on you'd have heard." Nak said, echoing S-Man's thoughts. "We're doing scout runs. Checking for safe zones for Convoy Six."

"Rocket runs." S-Man sighed "Great." He didn't sound very enthusiastic.

"Well, its what we're doin'. Stow your rifle and let's go." Nak ordered.

S-Man put his helmet on, ceiled it and walked over to the back of their Sentinel Dropship with the other two.

On a freight elevator dropping from the back, there were several pristine 74-Z speeder bikes, they brown paint presently flawless. They had been recently painted which was nice. They had some camouflage to the environment, but their white uniforms and the noise the bikes created would give them away immediately.

S-Man came to the one that was designated to him, and slid his E-11s sniper rifle into a long holster which ran parallel to the length of the bike. He and the others got on board theirs, and they each began to activate the engines.

"Alright guys, lets move out." Nak ordered.

Immediately after his bike began to move forward, lifting just high enough of the ground to move over the heads of the troops below them. Upper Cut was right behind him, and after a moment of hesitation, S-Man revved his engine and zoomed behind them and out of the base.


End file.
